Bridges Rebuilt
by ffreaderwriter
Summary: Sometimes you get help from an unlikely source.
1. Chapter 1

Thea Queen stood bent over the bar countertop pouring over the latest inventory figures. All in all everything looked good. Her train of thought interrupted when she heard "Do you know where I could find a smart, tough, beautiful girl who always tries to see the best in people whose boyfriend has been a complete jerk lately?"

She turned quickly facing him. "So, you're finally talking to me again?"

Thea leaned back on the bar, crossing her arms across her chest.

Roy backed off giving Thea some breathing room. "I know you're mad and you have every right to be."

"I haven't even known who you were the last week or so." Thea snapped. "You treated like some stranger. Not someone that knows you, worries about you and wants to help you."

"I know and I'm sorry. I have handled everything lately wrong." Roy said, his hands outstretched. "Thea, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would never want to lose you. Especially due to my own stupid behavior."

Thea studied him silently for several moments, before sighing. _His apologize seemed sincere. _"Okay, I'm tired of the fighting. Just curious though, what prompted this sudden realization."

"Oliver."

"My brother." Thea nearly snorted with laughter. "My brother – who the last time I checked can't stand you – got you to realize that you were being an idiot?"

"We had a talk and came to an understanding."

"Must have been some talk to get through your thick skull."

"It was. It was very enlightening."

"Enlightening huh?" Thea smiled playfully.

"Yep." Roy inched towards her.

"So, no more trying to shut me out and walking around here like someone who doesn't even know me?" Thea wrapped her arms around Roy's neck.

"Nope." He said, bending down to kiss her.

She pulled back. "Good. Because if you ever pull a stunt like that again I _will_ kick your butt and You know I can."

"I would listen to her if I were you." Oliver said as he approached the bar.

Roy immediately stiffened as he drew away from Thea. "I had better get back to stocking the shelves."

"That's probably a good idea." Thea said as Roy walked away.

"So, what brings you down here?" Thea asked, turning her attention to Oliver.

"Just coming back to check on you. Everything okay?"

Thea snickered, shaking her head "You know, you are still surprising me, Oliver."

Oliver smiled. "How's that?"

"I know." Thea smiled mysteriously.

"About what?" Oliver looked at her quizzically.

"About your talk with Roy."

"Don't be mad at Roy for telling me, Ollie."

"I'm not mad." Oliver said with the vaguest hint of a smile.

"You are the worst liar, Ollie." Thea shook her head. "I can always tell when you are lying. Don't you know that by now? Anyway, I think it's sweet that you took the time to actually get through to Roy." She reached out to pat Oliver on the shoulder._ "_I know that took some effort and time." Leaning closer she stage whispered, "Here I was thinking that you didn't care for him."

Oliver smiled genuinely this time. "I just want you to be happy, _Speedy._ If Roy makes you happy, then I'm okay with that."

"Thanks, but do you have to call me that?"

"Yes, I do. It is one of the perks of being an older brother. I get to annoy you."

Hope you enjoyed this so far. Thanks to my beta for the many stages this went through.


	2. Chapter 2

Felicity looked up from her computer screen, glanced over at Diggle who was sitting off to the side watching Roy and Oliver spar. "You feeling left out?"

Diggle's face upturned into a half smile. "No. Just watching Oliver use someone else for a punching bag."

"Don't sell yourself short. You can handle yourself against anyone." Felicity said before adding sheepishly. "Speaking of which, I really do need to get back to my self-defense training, but I am not doing that with an audience." Felicity nodded in Roy and Oliver's direction.

The sound of a rapid succession of blows to the wooden statute filled the end of the liar. "Roy, that's enough for now."

"I can keep going."

"Roy, you need to take a break." Oliver said leaving no room for discussion.

Oliver tossed over a water bottle. "Driving yourself to exhaustion isn't going to prove anything."

"I want you to know that I am willing to work hard."

"One thing I have noticed about you is that you're a fighter. You wouldn't have survived this long if you weren't."

A silence fell between them for a few moments.

"Thea, said you told her about our talk." Oliver said. "She looked like she took it well. What exactly did you tell her?"

"I told her that you made me realize what was important. I didn't want to lose her. I promised not to keep stuff from her. How do you keep this from her? How does she not know?"

"You're not going to be able to keep that promise, Roy. " Oliver said. "You will find the hardest thing to do is not jumping off a building or fighting some low life. It's lying to the ones closest to you. But, you it's necessary to protect them."

"That's what I want to do. Protect people."

"Did you tell Thea what happened when you were kidnapped?"

"No, way. Are you how I got home that night? I remember being taken and drugged and then the next thing I remembered was waking up in bed."

"Yeah."

"And those guys that kidnapped me? Are they ...?"

"Yeah, but I want you to know that I have stopped that."

"Why? When there are people out there who want to destroy the city."

"To honor a friend I lost during the quake." Oliver said.

"Killing somebody is not something to be taken lightly." Oliver said. "How did you feel when you nearly killed that guy."

"I was scared to death." Roy answered.

"Keep that feeling and you'll be okay."

"I think that'll be enough for today."

"Okay. Mind if I hang out here for a little bit?"

"That's fine."

"One more thing." Oliver said. "You are going to have to act normal around me from now on."

"I think I can do that."

Hope you enjoyed this.


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